Still Here

Personnel: Dave Cooper (guitar); Hugh Syme (keyboards, background vocals); Mike O'Berle (drums, background vocals); Dave Sawyer (background vocals).
Changing his name to Ian Thomas Band didn't have much of an impact on his material, but Still Here did net Thomas a Canadian hit with "Coming Home" in June of 1978. "I Really Love You," based on Thomas' passion for making music and his hatred for the business, was a minor hit, but it couldn't match the sentimentality of "Right Before Your Eyes," his best ballad, which he released a year earlier. Hugh Symes' keyboard work and Dave Cooper's guitar-playing instills a minute amount of energy in tracks such as "Still Here" and "Just Like You," but there aren't enough impressive hooks, novel melodies, or bouncy rhythms to make the album stand out. Thomas improved substantially with his next release, entitled Glider, which parented hits in both "Pilot" and "Time Is the Keeper" and had him sounding more involved in the musical aspect of his work. ~ Mike DeGagne